Play Pot is a Boonsik restaurant. Boonsik is a term used to refer to inexpensive Korean snacks easily found on Pojangmacha. (food vendor). The main idea behind Play Pot is 'super luxury food vendor': taking the favorites of what you love from the street and giving them a gourmet twist, while still keeping the accessibilty, inexpensive prices and customer service like a regular food chain.

By looking at the place, Play Pot brings the outside space into the interior space of the restaurant, creating a space within the space. The design took inspiration from pojangmacha (food vendors) which, although usually located in the middle of the street, are inviting spaces.

Play Pot’s sensibility was designed so that the interior space looks like exterior, breaking down the invisible barrier between exterior and interior space. The use of metaphorical road signs was an attempt to hint at this.

Plan – click above for larger image

From studying pojangmacha, the material and tarpaulin played a significant role. Tarpaulin is a heavy duty water proof cloth usually made with plastic. It is commonly used in normal food vendors in Korea. The material in itself has the quality of opacity that allows light to come through. This creates more interesting atmosphere than that of daytime, creating twilight or warm night time.

Tarpaulin wall – click above for larger image

Pojangmacha has its own merits and own culture. Zippers are used to make windows out of tarpaulin tents, or the rims were rolled up to make an entrance. Play Pot was a project that stimulates nostalgia, familiarity and recreates its own culture.